Turnbuckle



W. W. MOUNT Sept. 9, 1958 TURNBUCKLE Filed June 29, 1953 l V II|..|,| llllllll lll United States Patent M' TURNBUCKLE Wadsworth W. Mount, Chatham Township, Morris County, N. J., assignor to Merriman Bros. Inc., Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application .lune 29, 1953, Serial No. 364,628

3 Claims. (Cl. 287-61) This invention relates to turnbuckles.

Turnbuckles have been in use for many years in one form or another, but in all cases the principle of operation involves the engagement of two threaded elements which may be moved toward or away from each other by relative rotation. When the threaded elements have been brought to the desired position, means has usually been provided for locking the two threaded parts together to prevent subsequent change of position.

Turnbuckles are commonly used in the rigging of boats and will be found particularly in the standing rigging of sail boats. The turnbuckle is usually positioned at the lower end of the shroud to connect directly with the chain plate ata position close to the deck. Conventional means of locking the threaded elements of a turnbuckle against further rotation are cotter pins or lock nuts. lf cotter. pinsare used, the ends are'bent over to prevent dislodgement. `This is dangerous, causing torn sails and clothing and injury to sailors. Hence, the cotter pins areA frequentlyfwrapped with an adhesive tape guard. Readjustment of` turnbuckl'es locked by either lock nuts or cotter pins is so time consuming that it cannot conveniently be done While under way, although rigging adjustments are often desired while racing a boat.

The external threads on the take-up member of conventional turnbuckles chate running rigging and are easily susceptible to` damage so that subsequent adjustment becomes difficult.

Another disadvantage of present day turnbuckles is their weight caused by cast frames andsolid threaded shanks. In small racing boats where excess weight is a serions disadvantage, attemptshave beenmade to provide lighter, equally strong smaller cross-section turnbuckles. The smaller cross section is important in reducing windage. It is toward the accomplishment of such l objectives that the present invention is directed.

The present invention achieves the desirable results of extreme lightness, complete absence of `any projections of any kind whatsoever and complete protection for threads, thereby eliminating any possibility of sails catching and being torn and providing a smooth part which may be grasped by the crew Without fear of injury, or on which a rope may slide without'chang.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a turnbuckle made principally of stainless steel tubing which is readily obtainable and resistant to salt water corrosion. Another object of the invention is the provision cf means for locking the turnbuckle in adjusted position by a novel mechanism which eliminates the use of cotter pins and which may be readily removed from locking position any time further adjustment of the turnbuckle becomes necessary.

These and other objects of the invention will become lmore apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a side elevation of a turnbuckle made according to the present invention.

2,851,294 Patented Sept. 9, 1958 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of that portion of the turnbuckle known as the take-up after having been removed from the barrel and drawn to `somewhat larger scale than Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the left hand end of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows the first step in the assembly of the barrel and the wire receiving end. i

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating the next step in the assembly in which the barrel has been rolled in beyond the head on the shank of the wire receiving end.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the formation of the hexagonal portion on the right hand end of the barrel.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1 drawn to enlarged scale.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8--8 of Fig. l drawn to enlarged scale.

Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9--9 of Fig. 6.

The complete turnbuckle assembly is shown in Fig. l. This consists of a toggle 2 representing any element to which the turnbuckle may be aixed. The toggle will usually be aliixed when used in a sail boat to the chain plate. The right hand end of the toggle is secured by a rivet 4 to the eye 6 on the left end of takeup 8 which constitutes the rst element of the turnbuckle. The right end of the take-up is threaded at 16 and is in engagement with the internal threads 12 of the barrel 14 which constitutes the second element of the turnbuckle. By this arrangement it is apparent that upon rotation of barrel 14, the barrel may be moved to any selected position with respect to take-up 8.

Referring additionally to Fig. 6, the right handV end of barrel 14 is reduced in diameter to form a shoulder 16 with the right hand end of barrel 14 being in hexagonal form as at 18. The internal portion of shoulder 16 holds within the confines of the barrel one end of a third element 19. This element comprises an enlarged head 20 on the end of shank 22 which shank is of such dimension that it and head 20 are freely rotatable within shoulder 16 and hexagonal portion 18.

On the right of shank 22 is an hexagonal portion 24 of the same interior dimensions as that of hexagonal portion 18. An elongated end 26 extends to the right from hexagonal portion 24 and by application of a conventional swaging process, securely contains therein the end v of the flexible wire cable 28. It will be understood that 30, the left end of whichk as at 32 is hexagonal in form with its interior dimensions such that it may tit freely vover hexagonal portion 24 of the element 19 and the hexagonal end 18 of the barrel 14. The right hand end 34 of the locking sleeve 30 is circular in cross-section and of somewhat reduced diameter and is rounded in as at 36 to provide an interior diameter which will tit over and grip with suilicient security the outer surface of' the swaged end 26. To facilitate this gripping action four slots 38 spaced at 90 are cut in the end 36.

From the construction above described, it will be understood that the following procedures are to be used in making the adjustment of the turnbuckle. The user rst slides the locking sleeve to the right along the swaged end 26 and cable 2S until the hexagonal cover 32 is completely free of the two hexagonal portions 18 and 24. A wrench 0r other suitable tool is then applied to the hexagonal portion 1S causing it to be rotated to the right .to possible damage.

if the turnbuckle is to be tightened or to the left if it is to be loosened. During this operation, take-up 8, the rst element, and the third element 19 are held against rotation. This is normally done by the toggle 2 being locked to the chain plate and another wrench being used on the hexagonal section 24. Barrel 14 may then be turned by hand, or if necessary, by a tool applied to hexagonal portion 18 which is directly adjacent hexagonal portion 24. As soon as the correct tension has been achieved, the hexagonal surfaces of portions 18 and 24 are brought into alignment and the locking sleeve 30 is then slid along the swaged end 26 and over the portions 18 and 24, thus effecting the locking of these latter two parts against rotation with respect to each other. The frictional engagement of the end 36 with the swaged end 26 is suflicient to hold the locking sleeve in this position so that the second and third elements of the turnbuckle parts are effectively locked together against relative rotation. It will be observed that the parts that are locked are the swivelled parts, not those engaged by screw threads.

It will be noted in Fig. l in which all the elements are shown in the position they assume when in normal operting arrangement that the entire exterior is substantially smooth and without any objectionable projections. Thus, the turnbuckle of the present invention may be used with complete assurance that it will not cause damage to sails or persons, or have the vital adjusting threads exposed Since some of the elements comprising the turnbuckle, namely, the take-up 8, the barrel 14, and the locking sleeve 30 are tubular, the result is that the complete unit weighs only a fraction of the weight of ordinary turnbuckles of comparable strength. Strength is achieved through the use of stainless steel, seamless tubing which has high tensile strength. The solid swaged end unit, the third element, is also made of stainless steel of suitable strength and the swaged connection with the cable 28 is by test stronger than the cable itself.

The foregoing description has been conned to the finished article as it is found in Figs. 1, 6, 7 and 8. There are, however, certain processes involved in the construction of this turnbuckle which are believed to be novel methods and will accordingly be so claimed. These processes will now be described.

In the manufacture of the take-up 8, the initial dimension outside diameter and wall thickness of the tubing is large enough to cut the threads at the end for suitable distance and to leave suicient interior wall thickness to provide the requisite strengtth. Then, instead of turning the tubing down for the balance of its length, which would be a wasteful procedure, that portion at 40 receives its reduced exterior diameter by the application of a swaging process which has the eiect of thickening the wall 42 somewhat. In this way, clearance is provided between the exterior of the portion 40 and the threads 12 that line the interior of the barrel 14.

The eye at the left hand end of take-up 8 is formed by subjecting the tube to a crushing pressure between two flat surfaces. This squeezes the walls of the tube into a ilat section 44 through which the hole 46 is subsequently bored. The take-up 8 thus produced is light and far stronger than the cable 28 which it must support.

The procedure used to make the connection between the right hand end of barrel 14, the second element, and the head on the end of shank 22 of the third element is as follows: The head and shank are positioned within the end 48 of barrel 14. Before any shaping of end 48 has been made, the clearance between the head 20 and the k interior barrel diameter is such that free rotation is permitted. With head 20 in proper position, the end 48 is then placed in a machine to be rolled down as at the section 50 (see Fig. 5) so that the interior diameter will be reduced sufficiently to prevent the escape of head 20.

At the same time this reduction in diameter at 50 will not be sucient to grip the shank 22. Thus, the shank 22 and head 20 are still free to rotate, but are secured in a manner that provides enough tensile strength between the two parts to be in excess of the tensile strength of cable 28. End play in either direction is limited. Axial movement is restricted to the necessary minimum by the clearance allowed between the end of barrel 14 and the abutting enlarged hexagonal section 24 of the third member.

Following the operation illustrated in Fig. 5, the end portion 48 is placed in a suitable press which then reduces this part to hexagonal formation as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 9, but at the same time, there remains suitable clearance between the shank 22 and the interior of hexagonal portion 18 so that the head 20 and shank 22 are still free to rotate within. In other words, free and easy swivel action is provided between the second and third elements.

From the foregoing explanation it will be seen that I have provided a turnbuckle comprised of three parts of which the intermediate partis in screw threaded engagelment with one of the 'end parts and in rotational engagement about its longitudinal axis with the other end part and, in addition, there is locking means adapted to grip simultaneously the vexteriors of the two parts in swivel relationship. As can be seen the locking means is preferably of tubular character slidable longitudinally from locked to unlocked position. In this way the locking element cannot become lost and i-s always at hand to lock the parts after the adjustment has been completed.

It is my intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A turnbuckle comprising in combination three elements connected in series, the tirst element being tubular and threaded exteriorly at one end only for screw threaded engagement with a second element which is also tubular and interiorly threaded, the second element being connected to the third element in a manner to withstand tensional forces but at the same tme permitting relative rotational movement of the said second and third elements about their longitudinal axes, the means of connection between said second and third elements comprising a tubular end on said second element adjacent said third element and said third element having a headed shank extending within said tubular end, said tubular end being of reduced internal diameter about said shank to engage said head, thereby to prevent the separation of said second and third elements while permitting their said relative rotation, the exterior of said tubular end being multisided in crosssection, said third element including an enlarged portion adjacent said tubular end and with its exterior multisided in cross-section and a longitudinally slidable locking element for simultaneously gripping the multisided portions of said second and third elements to prevent their relative rotation.

2. A turnbuckle comprising in combination three elements connected in series, the rst element being a tube threaded externally at one end and of reduced diameter at its unthreaded portion and apertured at its other end, the second element being threaded internally for the majority of its length to receive the threads of said rst element and being of reduced internal diameter at its remote end with its exterior polygonal in cross-section, said third element comprising a shank within the reduced diameter portion of said second element, a head on the end of said shank larger than said reduced diameter portion, an enlarged section at the other end of said shank of the same polygonal cross-section as that of said second element and an end adapted for connection with a tension member and extending from said enlarged section tubular longitudinally movable means for gripping said polygonal parts of said second and third elements to prevent their relative rotation, said tubular longitudinally movable means when in gripping position being movable only in a direction away from the said remote end of said second element to free said polygonal parts.

3. A turnbuckle comprising in combination a rst element in the form of a tube, said rst element being threaded exteriorly at one end and having its intermediate portion of reduced diameter which reduced diameter is not greater than the root diameter of said threaded end, the other end of said rst element being apertured to provide connecting means, a second element of tubular formation threaded interiorly of most of its length to engage the threads of said first element, the remote end of said second element being unthreaded and crimped inwardly to form a multisided circumference smaller than the circumference of the threaded portion, a third element having a shank With a head thereon, said shank being Within said crimped end and said head being located on the threaded side of `said crimped end whereby said shank is secured from withdrawal from said second element but is free to rotate axially -With respect thereto, an

enlarged portion adjacent said shank having an exterior l configuration the same as that of the said crimped end of the second element, an extension extending from said enlarged portion having a socket therein adapted to receive the end of a wire cable, said extension being smaller than said enlarged portion and a sleeve having an interior conguration adapted to slide over and engage said enlarged portion and said crimped end to prevent relative rotation thereof, said sleeve having an extension of reduced interior diameter adapted to fit snugly about said extended. end When said sleeve is in engagement with said enlarged portion and said crimped end thereby to present a smooth relatively unbroken continuous sur` face.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 125,999 White Apr. 23, 1872 772,456 Chandler Oct. 18, 1904 1,003,355 Green Sept. 12, 1911 1,374,348 Barrell Apr. l2, 1921 2,295,357 Ryan Sept. 8, 1942 2,355,513 Cox Aug. 8, 1944 2,512,501 Miller June 20, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 108,423 Great Britain 1917 

